In our second interview with Jay Luke, we delve into the deeply personal themes of his latest album, "Me and My Demons." Jay discusses the inspiration behind tracks like "I Just Wanna Go Home" and shares insights into his musical journey, influences, and experiences as an independent artist. Join us as we explore the evolution of his music and what the future holds for this dedicated artist.
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1. "I Just Wanna Go Home" seems to carry a
personal and emotional tone. Can you share the inspiration behind the song and
how it relates to your experiences?
I think the best answer is for me I lived a rock n roll life full on from a
very young age. When I see people doing things I did a long time ago or outgrew
a long time ago I always find myself asking "Why did I even come out? What
am I doing here? I just want to be home" which is sort of a drastic change
from my younger nomadic self that had no interest in ever being home and wanted
to push my limits of partying or every type of excess available. This song
states my feelings about what most people view as fun and my view opposing. It
is also to be noted as a HUGE fan of the Marx Brothers films, I gave a nod to
Groucho Marx's popular sung line "Hello, I must be going" from many
films on the track.
2. "Me and My Demons" is the title of your album. Can you tell us
more about the theme and concept of the album as a whole?
The theme is one of a concept album. It is the main character's descent into
madness, how he got there, how it seems like there is no way out, and how to
finally escape it. It is in many ways a diary of a broken man.
3. Your musical journey spans several bands and collaborations. How has your
previous experiences influenced the music on this album?
I think everything we do or have been involved in influences us. Sometimes
those influences are obvious and sometimes more subtle. The bands I have been
in, and the ones I am in currently have provided constant lessons. Anyone that
tells you they know everything there is to know about _________. Is someone
that you should avoid. Those sorts of statements are like an alarm that alerts
you to find your way out of that setting or situation. To claim you know
everything is ignorant on so many levels, especially in the musical field.
There is a famous quote that I always remember when this topic is brought up
about how we continually learn each day as we progress. The quote was from
cellist Pablo Casals. In 1957 at the age of 80 Casals was the subject of a
movie short, A Day in the Life of Pablo Casals. The movie's director Robert
Snyder asked Casals, "why he continues to practice four and five hours a
day." Casals answered: “Because I think I am making progress.” It is never
too late to learn. From both the things we see as positive or negative there is
always a lesson. The bands I have been in got me where I am today. I am
grateful to have survived so much as a lot of people I knew and started with
have either given up playing or died. It takes a lot of motivation and drive to
not give up especially when the incentives to keep driving onward decrease more
and more. It has to be something in your blood, something you cannot do without
or you will never survive.
4. "I Just Wanna Go Home" is the lead single from your album. What
made you choose this track to represent the record?
Well, truthfully this would be the third single. The first was "You'll
Never Beat The Addiction" and the second was the title track "Me And
My Demons." Why I feel "I Just Wanna Go Home" is a good kickoff
song for the album is that it is the obvious start of the story in the album.
It shows an already less than enthusiastic look at going out and having fun
like other people do when you are tired of the situation or scene as just the
thought of it bores you. It is hard-hitting and gets the ball rolling with a
driving beat and melody line.
5. Can you describe the creative process behind "I Just Wanna Go
Home"? How did you approach songwriting and recording for this particular
track?
I don't feel there is any one solid perfect process or solution in songwriting
which is also the beauty of it. Sometimes the lyrics come first, other times it
is the music that comes first and you either add the lyrics or music to
whichever you started with. There are also the rare times when they both
naturally just appear at the same time and tie everything together
simultaneously. This song was one of the rare times when I was strumming my
guitar and the words sort of fell out and before I knew it I had the structure
of the song together.
I think seeing how some of these musicians I looked up to since I was a kid handle things is very important. Their body of work is the obvious thing everyone knows about but to see how they treat people, what they do behind the scenes and things like that are just as much of an influence to me as their music is. Each of the artists you named are people that after meeting them my admiration only increased. I have had other experiences with a lot of musicians I admired and found out the hard way sometimes it is best to not meet your heroes. The way you treat your fans shows a lot. I feel that the music is one thing but you have to respect the people that got you where you are too.
7. "It's About Time" was recorded over a span of two years. Could you tell us about the challenges and rewards of creating an album over an extended period?
The first album you make has one very very important luxury to it. You have your entire life until that moment to make it. Once you make the debut album everything then becomes timed or measured. The rewards of my debut album were having a lot of the songs already worked out beforehand and also it was my first time alone without a band where I had a lot of my friends in the industry come in to have a guest appearance which made it have a celebration sort of feeling to it. And speaking of influences and heroes I was able to land two guys I look up to on that release. A drummer named Carl Canedy who plays with The Rods and was a member of Manowar and a guitarist named Adam Bomb who has played with John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin and Michael Monroe of Hanoi Rocks. That first album is very special to me for a lot of reasons.
8. Your music is known for its diversity and influences. What are some of the musical genres and artists that have shaped your sound?
I think artists like David Bowie and Prince come to mind first when I think of the diversity aspect. While I have a ton of music I am influenced by those two artists showed me that it is okay to have more than one style or genre within your album or even sometimes within a song. I love the Ramones but I could never imagine being in a band like that. They knew what worked for them and never changed that formula. For me, I want to continue to try new tunings on the guitar or new progressions, try out new styles and things like that. While I enjoy the exploration of it all I still feel that everything somehow falls under the umbrella of rock n roll. The holy trinity for me as far as what shaped my sound is Metal, Punk, and good old rock n roll. I have found everything I ever wanted in those boundaries as far as things I relate to or feelings of expression.
9. Your solo career was born out of the challenges faced with your previous bands. How has going solo allowed you to express your musical vision more freely?
The main difference between the band scenario and the solo scenario is that there isn't a fight to get an idea across. If there were that would be a whole other level of the madness I dealt with in making this new album. With a band, you typically have a relationship with 3 or 4 other people with differing opinions and ideas always trying to grab the steering wheel and drive in different directions. Sometimes that chaos spawns the most amazing music and more often it drives everything to crash. The decision to make a solo career has probably been one of the best things I did. It showed me I don't need a perfect lineup or perfect anything. I just have to go to the studio and work. Not wait around for the stars to align or whatnot but simply go to work. Anytime anyone asks me for advice that is my main answer, is just go for it, and never quit. We all have moments we look back at and laugh at or aren't extremely proud of. We get through them and it makes us wiser through the experience.
10. "I Just Wanna Go Home" resonates with its listeners on an
emotional level. What do you hope people take away from this song when they
listen to it?
I never want to tell anyone how to feel or what to think, but for me, I would
hope the way I felt when I made these songs people relate to. For "I Just
Wanna Go Home" I would hope fans realize it is okay to not do what
everyone else does. I think it is probably a lot smarter to do your own thing.
The world is filled with people chasing trends that as soon as they catch they
have a new one to chase. A great bit of advice I followed came from the author
Charles Bukowski. He said "Wherever the Crowd Goes, Run in the Other
Direction. They're Always Wrong." I never forgot that. It sums up the life
and attitude of any true artist.
11. The album's title, "Me and My Demons," suggests a personal
exploration. Could you delve into the themes and emotions that run through the
record?
It 100% is the most personal album I have made. I showed parts of myself I am
quite reserved about. I wondered if the fans would get it or if they would be
lost. When we put the self-titled single out and it became the most streamed
song in my catalog those fears were put to rest. The themes are dark on this
record. Sadness, loss, depression, angst, anxiety, fear, confusion, and finally
finding a triumph at the end in discovering the answer is always in plain sight
but constantly disguised until you are ready to see it.
12. Your album showcases a variety of musical influences. Can you name a few
key artists or albums that have had a significant impact on your music?
Artists that influenced this record are Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P., Steve
Harris of Iron Maiden, Johnny Marr, Shirley Manson of Garbage and Ville Valo to
name a few. An album by W.A.S.P. called The Crimson Idol is the album in my
life that led me to write music. It had such an immense and powerful impact on
me. The story, the concept all of it. It was like the lyrics and songs on that
album were spoken directly to me. I had the opportunity to open for W.A.S.P. in
2008 and it disappointed me as the band canceled right before the show started
and we ended up headlining instead. I didn't get the chance to tell Blackie how
much that piece of work meant to me.
13. In the current music industry, how do you see the role of independent
artists and the challenges they face in getting their music heard?
I referenced earlier that the state of the industry gets harder by the day in
how difficult it is to see any light at the end of the tunnel for your work. I
need to write songs and make music as a form of expression or as a form of
therapy. I would peobably be dead or in prison if I wasn't able to vent or
channel things through my music. I don't see the reward having to be a monetary
one as much as a spiritual one that is meant to reach people and have the songs
connect to other people who may be struggling so they know they're not alone.
It is ironic that it is easier than ever to get your music out there in the
world but harder than ever to have it heard. The playing field is saturated.
Add to that now there is a whole new battle to fight in the form of AI being
used in everything on top of the mountains of challenges we already face. For
me I just try to do as much as I can to see what stations, channels or
playlists will include our material and if they like it great, if not that's
okay too. The main thing is NEVER GIVE UP! No matter how hard it is.
14. What can fans expect from your upcoming performances, and how can they
stay updated on your live shows and releases?
The live shows are always a fun time. I think it is a continual process to
connect with people and make them forget their problems for a while or perhaps
to realize we share a lot of the same problems in some way or another and it is
not to be embarrassed about. The shows are a celebration of that. You can keep
up with performances and appearance dates on social media networks for all
information.
15. Looking ahead, what are your future plans and aspirations for your music
career, both as a solo artist and potentially with any new projects?
At the moment I think this is the most momentum I have ever had in all of my
career so I don't want to become too comfortable looking at past glory I want
to keep building upon it. There have been so many things that I am so proud of
and such magical moments but you always have to have the belief that the best
is always in front of you and not behind you, or else what's the point? It is
like admitting defeat if you are satisfied entirely, it kills your future
desires. The balance is the key and is forever a challenge. With the bands I am
in (Reach For The Sky & The Stones Of Atlantis), we are both looking to
release new albums. As for myself, I will begin working on the fifth release in
about a month or so once the promotion on this new one is over.
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